FOCUS
Catalyzing innovation and facilitating collective impact for transformative impact
Applied Research & Advisory Services
I provide hands-on advice to governments, development agencies, foundations and other organizations to use their capacities, networks and financial resources in a way that makes a real difference.
My work in the area of innovative impact finance, impact business strategies and social innovation is grounded in latest academic research and practical experiences thanks to more than two decades working in the development and impact field in Germany, Europea and emerging countries worldwide.
Facilitation
I design and create spaces for deeper listening, learning and connection for collective impact, for example as host of Impact for Breakfast Berlin or while team member of EVPA (now Impact Europe).
I am a trained facilitator in collective leadership and system change methods such as Theory U, Art of Hosting, Systems Innovation, Generative facilitation as well as Futures Thinking.
Mentoring & Career advice
I have been mentoring career changers, young women, newcomers or senior impact (finance) professionals for almost 10 years. I know that sometimes a small piece of advice or asking the right questions can really make a difference in other peoples lives.
And I have often been in the situation myself that I had to reinvent myself, my life and my career in challenging circumstances. So I know what it feels like and I learnt all about useful methods helping you to discover your purpose. I know the impact and development space really well and I have a strong network both in Germany and internationally. I can help you to take your career in the direction of where your passion and your mission meets what the world needs and what you get paid for.
Incubation & project development
I am a passionate entrepreneur myself and I enjoy bringing new ideas to life. With partners across sectors I identify eco-system gaps and incubate ideas that bring about real change.
For example, in Turkey and Germany I co-initiated Europe's first learning spaces for investors and funders about impact finance back in 2012. I was also part of initiatives to develop a framework for government intervention in impact investing (with Rockefeller Foundation) and inclusive business (with G20 Inclusive Business Initiative) and supported governments in this field. I also promoted the idea of the role of capital in system change at EVPA and designed the Transformative Finance Lab in 2022.
Training & Capacity Building
The complex problems we are seeking to address require multilingual leaders with the ability to build bridges combing technical and financial skills with understanding of the social and environmental imperatives and leadership skills.
I develop learning opportunities for both practitioners and newcomers to the impact finance and social innovation field that combine latest knowlege with practice learning.
Projects
Selected activities
Developing a finance eco-system for social innovation in Germany
Advisory & Facilitation
Support to the Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany on the development of a concept on the use of dormant bank accounts for creating a market for financing social innovation including the development of innovative finance mechanism. The work - supported by the German Government through the Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) also entailed the support to the design of a multistakeholder process and the curation of various deep dives on innovative financing mechanism.
SDC Case Studies on private sector engagement
Research & publications
The project aimed at sharing the experience of the Swiss
Government's engagement with the private sector and the development of innovative financing vehicles and partnership models.The publications covered: Social Impact Incentives, the Impact Linked Finance Fund, the establishment of catalytic capital platform Aceli Africa and product development partnerships (2022).
Innovative development finance / KfW & BMZ
Project manager & expert advisor
Led a team of international experts to take stock of innovative development finance trends, strategies, review of international and German development cooperation experiences in the field of innovative development finance, and provide recommendation to the German government (BMZ) and KfW. The team drafted a comprehensive stocktaking report (internal); and co-authored a toolbox document (2019-2020).
Scaling refugee entrepreneurship support / Generali
Member of Advisory Team
Appointed to an international team of experts advising The Human Safety Net of Generali, a global insurance corporation, on the use of a scaling grant for refugee entrepreneurship (2019-2022).
Workshop facilitation in strategic philanthropy / German foundation
Project manager & facilitator
Prepared and facilitated a workshop with the senior management team of one of Germany's largest foundation on the foundation's phasing out (exit) of its partner organisation. The process included in-depth interviews with senior leadership of the foundation, identifying critical issues, provision of related content and expertise, facilitation of 2 day workshop and workshop documentation (2020).
International Entrepreneurship Practitioner Exchange: Beyond the Known / BMZ, GIZ, IFC, EBRD, ILO
Facilitator & moderator
Facilitated a global practitioners' exchange to "Discover New Ways to Promote Entrepreneurship & Support MSME Development gathering entrepreneurship support organisations, practitioners, experts, investors and donors. On behalf of an international coalition of donors: BMZ, GIZ, EBRD, IFC, ILO and in cooperation with Adelphi (2019).
Strategic advisory to corporate client on sustainable finance and business trends in South East Asia /Corporate client
Senior advisor
Advised a private client on key trends in sustainable finance as well as market opportunities in sustainable business and finance market in Indonesia. Designed and supporting a major stakeholder convening of sustainable finance and business community in Indonesia as a market entry strategy for the client (2019-20).
Promotion of entrepreneurship and enterprise development / Swisscontact
Senior Entrepreneurship Advisor
Private sector foundation Swisscontact embarked on a journey to develop knowledge knowledge and contribute to the international debate on how entrepreneurship and enterprise development can best be promoted (2017-2018).
More information about the principles developed can be accessed in our blog.
Finance Guide / GIZ
Senior finance expert
The Finance Guide is an introduction to the basics of commercial finance and investment in the context of development cooperation. The objective is to enable readers with limited or no prior exposure to finance topics to understand some key aspects in the public and private sector. Given the increasing importance of mobilizing private capital for development purposes, the Finance Guide is intended to provide orientation to GIZ staff when considering the role of commercial finance in designing and implementing technical-assistance programs. In addition, when working with implementing partners or businesses looking for finance, the reader will be able to assume a more substantial role in supporting such local partners and entrepreneurs in developing bankable and investment-ready projects or businesses (2017/18).
The guide can be accessed at Endeva's website, the lead partner for this assignment.
Funding and supporting innovation: learning, risk taking and dealing with failures / Nesta
Researcher
Supporting the UK innovation agency Nesta with designing and conducting a comprehensive piece of research on how foundations and other innovation funders fund and support innovation. The focus was on the role of learning, risk taking and failure and we specifically looked at philanthropic innovation funders engaged in developing and emerging countries. The results were to feed into the design of programs in international development
Finance for Change
Training designer & co- trainer
F4C has been one of the first European leadership and training programs on impact investing. It's objective was to make the emering field, practicies and tools accessible to philanthropic funders, VC funds, business angels, intermediaries and financial institutions (2016-2017).
Advisory and research services on mobilising Private Capital for Sustainable Development:
Research & Advisory
Advised Danida, the Danish Development Agency on options to mobilise private sector capital for sustainable development. The work included a recap of the current discussion of key concepts in impact investing and innovative finance, an identification of critical issues based on a literature review, stakeholder interviews in Europe, the US and emerging markets and a review of more than 20 blended finance vehicles (2015-2016).
The report is available here and the annexes including fact sheets for various blended finance investment vehicles can be downloaded here.
Social Investment Program Turkey / JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Training designer & co-trainer
Developed, designed and managed a training, mentoring and co-investment program for impact entrepreneurs, social businesses, intermediaries, social investors in Turkey supported by JP Morgan Chase Foundation. Co-trainer in 3 day social investment training with a panel of highly recognized international social investment and impact measurement experts.
Developing social impact markets in Turkey / Mercator Foundation & Rockefeller Foundation
Researcher & eco-system builder
As Fellow of the German Mercator Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation / Impact Investing Policy Collaborative at the Istanbul Policy Center of Sabanci University Turkey led the first major research project in Turkey on social entrepreneurship and impact investment.
The work included a major social and green entrepreneurship survey; the testing of potential investors’ interest under various scenarios; identification on necessary conditions by international impact investment firms and funds for engaging in Turkey; a review of legal framework; the development of options for engagement by government and other market builders; convening of Turkey's first international impact investing conference in cooperartion with UNDP.
The results of the research were documented and shared in various publications, newspaper articles and blogs, which can be accessed here.
Inclusive Business Policies in Colombia and Indonesia / GIZ
Research & Advisory
Inclusive Business involve low income communities in the value chain. Commissioned by GIZ, the German Government Agency explored demand by governments in Indonesia and Columbia for assistance for developing inclusive business policies.
G20 Inclusive Business Framework / Turkish Government
Research & Advisory
The Turkish presidency of the G20 in 2015 identified Inclusive Business Policies as a priority topic for its Development Working Group. IFC and UNDP have been tasked by the G20 to lead on the development of a Framework on Inclusive Business Policies that can guide further actions. We were commissioned to support the consulting team led by our colleagues at Endeva to support the development of the framework. The Framework has been adopted as part of the G20 presidency in 2014.
The G20 Inclusive Business Framework can be accessed here.
Feasibility Study for an Impact Investment Fund in Northern Kenya / Care International
Advisory
The project aim was to identify innovative options to channel sustainable investment finance to an economically underdevelopment region in Kenya. Work included a review of financial service providers, their products and technologies to identify market gaps; the implementation of an enterprise survey to identify market needs for new financial and non-financial support; a review of international experience in public venture capital, investment fund design and management of funds for social impact; the development of an initial deal pipeline, advice on fund design options, a fund investment strategy and testing of investor interest. NKIF became part of the governments Vision2030.
Insights
Selected publications
SDC Case Series on Innovations in Private Sector Engagement. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SDC Case Series on Innovations in Private Sector Engagement. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Link to be added soon, in the meantime pls send us an email to receive a copy akoenig@socialimpactmarkets.org
SDC Case Series on Innovations in Private Sector Engagement. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Link to be added soon, in the meantime pls send us an email to receive a copy akoenig@socialimpactmarkets.org
SDC Case Series on Innovations in Private Sector Engagement. SwissAgency for Development and Cooperation
Link to be added soon, in the meantime pls send us an email to receive a copy akoenig@socialimpactmarkets.org
European Social Catalyst Fund, 2021: Planning the Scaling of Social Innovation
The European Social Catalyst Fund (ESCF) has been established and is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, the Genio Trust, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the King Baudouin Foundation. This report contains a summary of scaling plans developed by organisations and consortia for 7 selected innovations that have been tried, tested and proven to be successful in tackling a range of social challenges. The financial and non-financial support offered by the ESCF is outlined and the lessons learned during the development of plans to scale are describedThe report can be downloaded here from ESCF website
Koenig, A. Clubb, C. Apampa, A. 2020, Innovative Development Finance - Toolbox
Guidance document on innovative development finance with 12 fact sheets prepared on behalf of German Development Bank KfWThe report can be accessed here
Koenig, A. et al 2020, Innovative development finance - stocktaking report
Executive summary of stocktaking project on innovative development finance mechanism & recommendations carried out on behalf of German Development Bank, KfW and German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentConsortium of experts from Niras, Convergence, LFS Advisory led by Anja-Nadine König (Social Impact Markets).Unpublished summary of a comprehensive report - a copy is available on request from akoenig@socialimpactmarkets.org
Knobloch, C; Uba, A.; König, A (2018): GIZ Finance Guide
The GIZ Finance Guide is an 101 introduction into the world of finance in the context of development cooperation. The objective is to enable readers with limited or no prior exposure to finance topics to understand key financing instruments and mechanism.The report can be downloaded here
Koenig, A. & Jackson, T, 2016, Mobilisizing private capital for international development: emerging trends and challenges
in: ECDPM GREAT INSIGHTS, 2030 Smart Engagement with business, Vol 5 Issue 5 October/November 2016, p 16. The article can be accessed here and the entire issue can be downloaded here (article on page 16-19)
Koenig, A. and Jackson, E., 2016, Private Capital for Sustainable Development: Concepts, Issues and Options for Engagement in Impact Investing and Innovative Finance. Danida Evaluation Study 2/2016.
The main report and annexes can be accessed here. Annexes include more than 20 fact sheets of blended finance impact investment funds, a market overview and new directions in impact measurement
Koenig, A. (2014): Developing social impact markets in Turkey: Framework for government engagement and review of policy options. Istanbul Policy Center, Sabanci University, Istanbul, April 2014
The report can be downloaded here
Addis, R., Koenig, A. (2014): Reflections on the Global Market. Why the G8 Social Impact Investing Taskforce Work Matters and What comes next?
in IIPC, Impact Investing in 2014: A Snapshot of Global Activity, Impact Investing Policy Collaborative Annual Report 2014, p 13. The report can be downloaded here, the article can be found on page 13-22
Koenig, A. (2014): Market Analysis in Social Impact Investing: Design Considerations And International Experience
In IIPC, Impact Investing in 2014: A Snapshot of Global Activity, Impact Investing Policy Collaborative Annual Report 2014, p 31. The report can be downloaded here, the article can be found on page 31-44
Koenig, A. , 2013, Social Investment: Global Trends and Implications for Turkey
Istanbul Policy Center, Sabanci University, Turkey October 2013.
Collection of blog posts published between February 2013 and May 2013 on global trends in social investments globally, the situation in Turkey, diaspora investing and the need for a holistic approach to market building for social investment in Turkey
The report can be downloaded here and a blog on implications is available here.
Koenig, A. (2013): Social and Green Entrepreneurship Survey in Turkey – Methodology and Findings
Istanbul Policy Center, Turkey October 2013.
Collection of blogs: Documentation of methodological considerations in designing and implementing Turkey’s first survey of green and social entrepreneurship and survey results.
The report can be downloaded here.
Koenig, A., 2013, What do international impact investors think of Turkey
Istanbul Policy Centre, Sabanci University, Turkey
Results of interviews with leading impact investment fund managers and firms on why impact investors engage in one country and not in another.
The report can be downloaded here and initial findings are discussed in this blog
Profile
Anja-Nadine König
Founder and Director
Anja Koenig is an experienced impact and development finance professional with in-depth technical expertise in impact finance, entrepreneurship promotion, blended value partnerships and a trained facilitator in social innovation, generative facilitation and systems change. She enjoys co-creating multistakeholder strategies and systemic interventions, catalyzing new ideas and connecting individuals and organization for greater impact.
She currently supports public private sector clients and social sector intermediaries in Germany and internationally on groundbreaking impact (finance) innovations, facilitates cross-sectoral partnerships and supports multistakeholder initiatives.
In the past, she worked with Impact Europe (previously EVPA), an European network of social nvestors as DACH region representative, community builder and facilitator of peer learnings. She also initiated Transformative Finance and Investing for Development Initiatives and led the design of a Transformative Finance Lab, a multistakeholder space to co-create financing solutions to systemic challenges.
Between 2017 and 2018 she supported private sector foundation Swisscontact to strengthen its role on entrepreneurship promotion, finance and innovation in emerging countries. In 2016, she initiated Finance for Change in cooperation with the Impact Hub Berlin, to introduce investors, finance and philanthropy professionals and government officials to the world of impact investing.
In Turkey, where she lived between 2010 and 2014, she founded Social Impact Markets to build the field of impact investment and social innovation in Turkey and internationally. She initiated and led the Social Investment Program supported by JP Morgan Chase Foundation. She was also a fellow of the Mercator Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation (Impact Investing Policy Collaborative) at Sabanci University in Istanbul researching and sharing on effective ways for government and others promoters to mobilise capital for impact and to develop impact markets.
Between 2007-2010 she worked on various advisory assignments on behalf of governments, development finance institutions and companies in East Africa and represented KfW, the German Development Bank in the oversight committee of a USD 1bn Multi-Donor Trust Fund in Southern Sudan. In Kenya, she also worked with Financial Advisory Services of PricewaterhouseCoopers Kenya and as resident policy advisor to the Kenya government with the German Development Agency GIZ.
She was also expert advisor with an economic consulting company in London/UK focusing on public-private partnership, policy and regulatory work in the UK and in emerging countries worldwide with a specific focus on the water, energy and communications sector. She started her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany in the impact assessment of KfW Development Bank financing activities in developing countries.
She holds a MBA (University of Mannheim, Germany), a degree in Political Science and Economics (IEP “Science Po”, Paris France) and a post Master degree in Development Studies (German Development Institute).
She holds certificates in futures thinking from the Institute for the Future, a certificate in generative facilitation from the Generative Facilitation Institute Berlin and is trained in Theory U, Art of Hosting and other system practices (e.g. with the School of System Change ) to help system leaders and groups successfully navigate innovation and systemic change for greater impact. She is also a convenor, having co-initiated, hosted and facilitated the Berlin Chapter of Impact for Breakfast for almost a decade.
Anja is mentor mentor with OnPurpose for impact career changer and has been a mentor with MentorMe, Germany's largest professional mentoring platform for young women. She has acted as pro bono jury member of start social and the impact challenge programme, both government programs to support innovative impact start up ideas in Germany.
She speaks German (native), English, French as well as some Portuguese and basic Turkish. She is now based in Berlin, after living as a long term resident in London (UK) for 3 years, Nairobi (Kenya) for 6 years and Istanbul (Turkey) for 4 years and working on assignments in various countries in Africa, CEE, MENA, Asia and Latin America.
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